Spraying machine



Get, 13, 1931., J. w. GRIESS SPRAYING MACHINE Original Filed June 26, 2 Sheets-Sheet l 0m. 13,1931. J. w. GRIESS 1,826,774

SPRAYING MACHINE Original Filed June 26, 1928 2 Shets-Sheet 2 handle.

Patented 0ct 1 3, 1931 PATENT OFFICE JUSTIN W'. GRIESS, OF GINGIN'NATI, OHIO I 'srnAYI-Ne MACHINE Application filed June 26, 1928, Serial No. 288,368. Renewed July 1, 1931.

In manufacturing fancy leathers have i found that especially pleasing color effects and surface finishes can be produced by spraying coating materials, such as lacquers, on the hides or skins. However, the ,practice of such a process-on a commercial scale involves considerable difiiculties in produciing'uniform results, maintaining the desired control of the process at all times, and parblemished goods due either to an uneven distribution of the coating materialor to the presence of wrinkles in the hides. orskins during the application of such material. The present invention relates to spraying machines of a type designed especially for use in this Work although adapted also for use in coating materials which can be handled in essentially the same manner as skins or hides. It is the chief object of'the invention to devise a-machine in which the spraying operation can be performed rapidly and efficiently, in which the desired control can be maintained, and with which the labor cost involved in producing leathers by this process will be substantially reduced. The invention also aims to facilitate the handling of the hides and skins and to improve the means for supportin the skins while they are being sprayed. for convenience the material undergoing treatment will be herein referred to as skins, this term being used to include skins, hides, sides, or other material which the machine is adapted to The nature of the invention will readily understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features m will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

' Figure l is a view chiefly in side elevation- I of a machine embodying the present inven tion;

Jticularly in avoiding the production 'of' Figure 2 is a plan view of the machine 4 shown in Fig. 1; i

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the spray guns used in Figs. 1 and 2, this view also illustrating the means for operatively supporting the spray gun; and

Fig. 4 is'a plan view showing another spray gun arrangement.

The machine shown includes a large drum 2 having an approximately cylindrical foraminous wall 3. Preferably this drum is mounted to rotate abouta vertical axis, and it is connected'by a conduit or wind trunk 4 to the intake end of a large blower or pump 5 which is adapted to maintain a partial vacuum in the drum. -It will be clear, therefore, that skins 6 placed against the outer wall 3 of the drum will be held on said wall by the suction maintained within the drum? This arrangement facilitates the plaoing'of the skins inposition for the spraying operation or their removal from this position, and makes it very easy for the attendant to stretch the skins smoothly on the surface of the drum and to avoid the presence of wrinkles. The holes in the drum should be of suflicient size to cause the suction to hold the skins firmly in position but still not large enough to produce any depressions in the outer surface of the skin. I have found that holes approximately three-sixteenths of an inch in diameter produce entirely satisfactory results.

The wall 3 of the drum 2 preferably is-at least six feet in width so that several relatively large skins can be held at one time on the outer surface of the drum in position for spraying. The coating material is applied by any suitable form of spraying apparatus. As

shown, several spray guns 7 of a common form are mounted at points spaced apart by substantially equal distances circumferentially around the drum 2, each gun .being equipped with the usual paint pot or container 8 to hold a supply of the coating ma terial, and having a hose connection 9, Fig. 3,

"by a rod 36 to a lever 37 for conducting air under pressure to the gun. Guns of any one of the several forms known commercially may be used. v

The guns are mounted for vertical traversing movement and for this purposeeach gun is supported on a carriage 10, best shown in Fig. 3, which is mounted on two vertical rods 1212, these rods forming a track for the travel of the carriage.

Power driven mechanism is provided for' producing the traversing movement of the guns. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the carriages -10 of the two guns 7-7 mounted at the front of the machine, or nearest the observer, are connected by a chain 13 which runs over sprocket Wheels 1414' above the drum. Another chain 15 connects the two carriages 10-10 just referred to and runs over sprocket wheels 16-16 located below the drum. It will thus be evident that if the sprocket wheel 14 is driven, the two spray guns 7 -7 just referred to will be moved simultaneously butin opposite directions on 1' their tracks 1212. The two spray guns at the back of the machine are connected in the same manner by chains, the upper chain being shown at 17, Figs. 1 and 2, and running over v sprocket wheels 1818. The two sprocket wheels 14 and'18 are mounted fast on a horizontal shaft 19 carrying a sprocket wheel 20 which is driven through a chain, 21 from another sprocket wheel 22 fast on the shaft 23. vA reversible mechanism is provided for driving this shaft 23. This mechanism comprisestwo pulleys'24 and both fast on the shaft 23 and an intermediate pulley 26 which is loose on said shaft. The pulley 24 is driven by an open belt 27, while the.

pulley 25 is driven by a cross belt 28, both of these belts running over and being driven by a wide faced pulley 29 on the driving shaft 30. A belt shifter 31 controls the position of both belts 27 and 28.

lit will be clear that when the belt 27 is driving the pulley 24 the chains 17 and 13 will be driven in one direction, the cross belt 28 at this time being on the loose pulle 26. When the shifter 31 is moved to shifl: the belts into the position shown in Fig. 2, the cross belt 28 then will drive the pulley 25, the open belt 27 at this time driving the loose pulley 26 so that the direction of movement ofthe chains 17 and 13 will, at

this time, be reversed.

'In order to produce this reversal automatically the belt shifter 31 is mounted on a lever 32, one end of which is connected by a rod 33 to a lever 34 having an end located in the path of travel of a lug 35 Wl'llCll is adjustably secured on the chain 1'7;

The opposite end of the lever 32 is connected aving an end portion located in the path-of travel of another lug 38 also adjustable on the chain 17.

- Assuming that the lever 34 has just been moved into the position shown in Fig. 2

I by the lug 35 and'that the chains 17 and 13 are now travelling in the directions indicated by the arrows, it will be evident that when the lug 38 strikes the lever 37 it will operate through the belt shifter 31 to reverse thedirection of travel of the chain. Another reversal will occur when the lug 35 strikes the lever 34 and these movements will continue so lon as the machine is in operation. Obviously th of movement will take place can be predetermined by adjusting the lugs 35 and 38 on the chain 17. This adjustment also will control the length of stroke of each gun 7 since all the guns are driven by the same mechanism.

In order to carry the skins past the path of travel of the guns the drum 2 is given a relatively slow rotary movement. For this purpose a worm gear 40'is secured to the drum and is driven by a worm 41 mounted .fast on the driven shaft 42 of a variable speed mechanism of a well known type, which is indicated in general at 43. 1 Power for operating this mechanism may be derived from an electric motor 44, Fig. 2. The vari able speed mechanism includes two cone pulleys 45 and 46 connected by a belt or chain 47 having tapered sides, the end pieces of each of the pulleys 45 and 46 being ade points at which each reversal justable toward and from each other so that the effective diameters of the pulleys may be adjusted at will. 1

It will be clear that the amount of coating material applied to any given hide will depend upon the adjustment of the spray in the gun, the rate of traversing movement of the gun, and the rate at which the drum 2 carries the skin past the path of travel of the gun. All of these factors can be adjusted so that the amount of spray applied to each hide will be controlled very accuset the gun so that the spray will strike the skin at the desired angle which often is very important in order to produce the desired results.

In using the machine the attendants place the skins 6 against the foraminous wall 3 and smooth them out, the suction thereafter holding the skins securely in position for the spraying operation. As the drum revolves slowly each skin is brought'into the field of operation of the spray producedby one of the guns 7, and it receives a coating of mavolved in coating skins with paint, lacquer,

or liquid of any character. The mounting of the skins in position for the spraying operation and their removal from said position is facilitated, and the difficulties heretofore experienced in supporting a skin smoothly for spraying are greatly reduced. By properly proportioning the movements of the spray gun and the drum, the coating material can be applied very uniformly so. that the production of streaked and blemished skins is substantially eliminated. It will be observed that each spray gun is maintained at a substantially fixed distance from the surface of the skin at all times which is an important factor in producing uniform results, especlally 1n spraylng coloring materlals which are dissolved in highly volatile solvents. The penetration of the coloring material into the skins also is increased by the suction and the drying of the coating is facilitated by the strong current of air which flows across the surface and around the edges of the skins. Many of the coloring materials used are applied in solution in volatile solvents which have toxic properties or are explosive. When such'materials are used in the machine shown these solvents are carried directly away from the operator and out of the room so that any accumulation of themwhere they must be breathed by the operator, or where they would produce a fire hazard, is avoided.

It is entirely feasible to mount a plurality of spray guns on a single carriage ahd such an arrangement is shown in Fig. 4 in which two guns 7-7 are supported on the holder 49'. Such an arrangement is desirable under some circumstances.

While I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention,

it will be understood that the invention mayv be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is:

. 1. In a, spraying machine, the combination of a support for holding the entire area of a skin simultaneously in position for the spraying operation, said support including a foraminous wall and means for applying suctionto one surface of said wall to hold the entire area of a skin against the op )osite surface for movement therewith, appe ratus for spraying material on a skin so supported,

means on which said support is mo -.nted for for creating suction in said drum to nold movement to carry the skin past said apparatus, and power driven mechanism for traversing'said spraying apparatus. r i 2. In a spraying machine, the combination of a rotary drum mounted to revolve about a vertical axis and having a foraminous wall for supporting the entire area of a skin simultaneously in position to be sprayed, means the entire area of a skin against the outer surface of said wall for movement therewltn,

apparatus for spraying material on a skin so supported, power driven mechanism for traversing said spraying apparatus, and.

means for moving said support to carry the skin past the' path of travel of said spray ing apparatus.

3. In a spraying machine, the combination of a r tary drum mounted to revolve abou. a vertical axis and having a substantially cylindrical foraminous wall for supporting the entire area of a skin simultaneously in position to be sprayed, means for creating suction in said drum whereby the entire area of a skin placed against the outer surface of said wall will be held thereon by the suetion, apparatus for spraying material on a skin so supported, and means for relatively moving said drum and apparatus to traverse the spray across the skin.

4. In a spraying machine, the combination of a rotary drum having a substantiallycylin- 'drical foraminous wall for supporting the entire area of a skin simultaneously in position to be sprayed, means for creating suction in saiddrumwhereby the entire area of ask'in placed against the outer surface of "said wall will be held thereon by the suction,

apparatus for spraying material on a skin so supported, means for supporting said apparatus for traversing-movement atv a fixed distance from said wall, and mechanism for rotating said drum to carry the skin past said apparatus.-

5. In a spraying machine, of a rotary drum mounted to revolve about a vertical axis and having a substantially cylindrical foraminous wall for supporting the entire area of a skin simultaneously in the combination no position to be sprayed, meansifor creating suction in said drum wherebythe entire area of a skin placed against the outer surface of ,said wall will be held thereon by the suction,

a gun for sprayingmaterial on a skin so supported, a track onwhich said gun is mounted for reciprocatlng movement at a substantially fixed distance from said foraminous: wall, mechanism for reciprocating sald apparatus on said track, and addit onal mechanism for rotating said drum to move said wall anda 1 skin supported thereon past the path of travel of said gun. V

6. In a spraying machine, the gombination of a rotary drum mounted to revolveabout a vertical axis and having a substantially 13 cylindrical foraminous wall for supporting the entire area of a skin simultaneously in position to be sprayed, means for creating suction in said drum whereby the entire area of a skin placed against the outer surface of said wall will be held thereon by the suction, a plurality of spray guns for spraying material on skins 1ll01111ted on said wall, means supporting said guns for movement in paths spaced from each other and at substantially fixed distances from said wall, and mechanism for revolving said drum.

7 In a spraying machine, the combination of a rotary drum mounted to revolve about a 5 vertical axis and having a foraminous Wall for supporting the entire area of a skin simultaneously in position to be sprayed, means for creating suctlon in said drum-to hold the power driven mechanism, the last namedmeans being adjustable to vary the length of stroke of the guns, and adjustable power driven mechanism for revolving said drum about its axis.

JUSTIN W. GRIESS.

entire area of a skin against the outer surface of said wall, apparatus for spraying material on a skin so supported, and power driven mechanism for rotating said drum to carry the skin past said spraying apparatus,

said mechanism being adjustable to vary the speed of rotation of said drum.

8. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a rotary drum having a substantially cylindrical foraminous wall, means supporting said drum for rotation 39 about a vertical axis, means for creating suction in said drum whereby a skin placed against the outer surface of said wall will be held thereon by the suction, a plurality of spray guns mounted at points spaced apart circumferentially of said drum and arranged to spray material on the skins supported on said wall, tracks on which said guns are mounted for vertical traversing movement,

' power driven mechanism for traversing said 40 guns, and mechanism for revolving said drum about its axis.

9. In a spraying machine, the combination of a suction support for holding a plurality of skins simultaneously in position for the spraying operation, a plurality of spray guns for spraying material on the skins mounted on said support, means supporting said guns for movement in fixed paths spaced from each other, a reversible mechanism for driving all of said guns to give them a traversing movement simultaneously, and means for automatically reversing the action of said driving mechanism, the last named means being adjustable to vary the length of the traversing stroke of the guns. I

10. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a rotary drum having a substantially cylindrical foraminous wall, means supporting said drum for rotation about a vertical axis, means for creating suction in said drum whereby a skin placed against the outer surface of said wall will be held thereon by the suction, a plurality of spray guns mounted at points spaced apart circumferentially of said drum and ar- 

